I play hockey. My kids play hockey and my wife plays hockey. I'm sure many of you who also play can relate to the constant drives to and from the rinks which shape the schedule of my free time. I'm sure you can also relate to the seemingly constant wear and tear that gear goes through and the desire to still look cool on the ice. Of course, if you play on a lot of rec league teams and want to wear at least something similar for colors, it can all add up fast.
I'm frugal, and I also enjoy projects. I've worked in many different fields over the years and the common denominator seems to always be that I like projects that require some degree of craftsmanship. Many years ago, I worked for Dana Design in Bozeman, Montana. There, we produced some of the best mountaineering backpacks money could buy. While working there, I found that I also enjoy sewing. I don't know why, but I always thought that was a little strange for a guy, though now I've met many others who also find it enjoyable as well. Ever since working at Dana, I've continued to learn about sewing and how I can apply that knowledge to my other passions in life.
So, back to hockey, it seemed obvious that much of the things I buy could be made instead of bought. In some cases, there isn't really a great deal of savings, but there is always some satisfaction that I did the work myself. Plus, I've found that not everything I may want is always available just the way I'd like it. To date, I've made jerseys, lots of Tron / Reebok Edge style socks and a custom hockey bag. In this blog, I hope to help other DIYers out there who may also want to take on some of these projects by providing some of the patterns and instruction that I've been able to develop. It takes quite a bit of work to produce these patterns, and in the small quantities that we DIYers work in, it can be an obstacle preventing us from doing what we love; making things!
I'll start posting patterns over the next couple weeks for socks. They are a great small project that can be done in a couple leisurely hours and typically don't cost much to make. Plus, with the pattern I developed, there is a larger mesh section that seems to feel a little cooler than their commercially available counterparts. And, the sky is the limit as to what they can look like! The pattens will be free to download and I've developed three different sizes. Small, which covers 13 inch shin guards, Medium, which cover 13-14 inch shin guards, and Large, which covers 15 inch shin guards.
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Before I get started with the sock, I'll write up some basics about the machines that I use most often. Commercially produced garments are made with sergers and coverstitch machines, but most of us don't have access to these. I've found that it really is unnecessary for most hockey applications. The knit polyesters used don't fray like woven fabrics do, so the decorative edge made by sergers is not needed and tends to cost more due to thread consumption. The main attribute of a serger stitch that is useful is the stretch capabilities provided. There are, however, many alternatives that standard contemporary sewing machines can provide with similar stretch properties, and far less thread needed.
I use mostly vintage 50's and 60's machines from Elna, Bernina and Necchi. Any one of these machines can do most of what a person needs, but they do all have their strong point and weaknesses. I tend to favor my Bernina for most things, but I'll cover that another day.
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| '56 Elna Supermatic |
